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I had problems similar to those described by the previous reviewer, but in a home-built kayak. I tried a number of different options, but could never find anything that was comfortable for very long. After doing a lot of research, I had narrowed my options down to two choices, one of which was the Onno seat. Franklin's statement that the Onno seat had alleviated the same problems I was experiencing was the deciding factor. After I asked Patrick to build me a seat, he had me provide a few measurements and some information on my boat to make sure his seat would fit. We then discussed my paddling and seating preferences over the phone to make sure that it would be a good match for me. The seat was a perfect fit for my kayak, but most importantly, it has been an outstanding solution to my problems. I have spent about 15 hours in it so far, including one 6 hour stretch without a break, and have been completely comfortable at all times. The seat provides exactly the right amount and kind of support. The built in back support is superbly designed as well and is very easy to adjust. It's great to be able to kayak without pain. It's a great seat and Patrick is a great person to deal with.

This is easily the best all-around boat I have ever paddled. It is a very pleasant boat to paddle in calm conditions, but really shines when the wind and waves pick up. Compared to other boats, the Sea Wind asks very little of a paddler. Initial and secondary stability are both excellent. The seat is very comfortable and adjusts vertically to any one of three different positions. In addition, there is a well-designed portage yoke built into the front of the seat. The boat can be paddled without the rudder, although there is no particular reason to do so. The rudder is extremely well designed and, in conjunction with the maneuverable hull design, brings the boat around quickly regardless of the paddling conditions. The Sea Wind was designed as a no holds barred expedition boat, and consequently has an incredibly strong layup. It is equally comfortable being paddled empty or with a heavy load of gear. One thing that really sets the Sea Wind apart from the rest of the pack is the easy, almost armchair-comfortable ride, that it provides in rough conditions. The fact that it asks so little of the paddler, in comparison to other boats, means that you spend minimal energy coping with the movement of the boat, and consequently have more to spend on getting where you are going. The Sea Wind commands a premium price, but if you want a superb boat that will handle an incredibly wide range of conditions, it deserves serious consideration.

Very high volume decked canoe with hull lines reminiscent of a Baidarka. The built quality is extremely good, with exceptional attention to detail. The seat is comfortable with vertical and fore-aft adjustability. The foot pegs/rudder controls are beefy, slide easily, and are probably the best I have seen. The rudder is pretty effective. I did not paddle the boat without the rudder. The gear storage area is cavernous and easily accessible. The boat has excellent speed and glide and does a great job in wind and waves. The initial and secondary stability are very good, although it can feel a bit odd at first because the seat is set a bit higher than it is in other decked canoes. However, I thought that the seat height helped me get a nice, strong paddle stroke. It looks to me like the boat was designed to be paddled with a load. It does well for day paddles, but I think that its real niche is as a big touring boat.

This is another superb Dave Yost design for folks looking for a relatively affordable decked canoe for day paddling and trips lasting up to several days. It handles wind and waves from all directions comfortably and has a nice blend of primary and secondary stability. Gear storage spaces won't work too well for those who want to bring everything but the kitchen sink, but if you stick to a reasonable amount of gear, will be adequate. The hull is pretty efficient and can keep up with the longer decked canoes when the group is paddling at a steady cruising pace.

There were a few things that I would change on my personal boat, but that is to be expected on a boat that costs a thousand dollars less than any other decked canoe. First to go would be the seat. It is uncomfortable and much too low for someone using a canoe paddle, and the boat's stability is good enough to accommodate the higher seat height. I padded it up to 4" high and felt that I could get a much stronger canoe paddle stroke there. The rear thwart was too far forward, which meant that the boat was always trimmed just a little bit nose heavy with this 220 lb. paddler. I didn't see the benefit of the wood trim on the cockpit, and it ended rather abruptly on the sides instead of going all the way around. I would think that it would be easier to use a composite coaming. A rudder would be a nice option or owner add-on. I would probably want a spray cover for peace of mind if I were going to be paddling the boat loaded in wind and waves.

Fast, low profile decked canoe well-suited for day paddles or light touring. Although it will handle several days’ worth of gear, there are larger boats (Kruger Sea Wind and Clipper Sea-1) that are better suited for extended touring and expeditions. The boat accelerates to cruising speed quickly and smoothly and is easy to hold there. The soft chines and flared hull contribute to a very comfortable feeling in waves, and the low profile means that it does not catch much wind. The seat adjusts vertically and fore/aft and is very comfortable. Initial and secondary stability were very good. When trimmed properly the boat is quite comfortable in waves, especially when trimmed properly. The rudder will help compensate for trim problems and is a lot of help in wind and waves.

The Cirrus is a stitch-and-glue kayak that is built from plans. There are two deck options when you purchase the plans: 1. A stitch and glue deck, or 2. A woodstrip deck. No kits were available as of the time of this review. Normally I would prefer to get more time in a boat before reviewing it, but since several people have asked about this boat and there are no other reviews, I'm going to write up my initial impressions.

The boat handles well for me (at 240 lbs) in a range of conditions. I've paddled it in dead calm, a light breeze (5-10 mph), and in 20-25 mph winds with closely spaced 12-18" waves. Initial stability was good. Secondary stability was very strong. The boat tracked well in all conditions, but not so strongly that it was a chore to maneuver. In 20 to 25 mph winds it showed just the barest hint of an inclination to weathercock. This was hardly noticeable and was easily corrected with slight edging or an occasional sweep stroke. The boat was comfortable in winds from all directions and in waves from all directions. Moderate course corrections were easily made with a sweep stroke or mild edging. Strong edging and a brace bring the boat around quite quickly. Cockpit size is generous. I have not checked my speeds with a GPS, but the boat moves along at a comfortable pace with minimal paddler effort.

Superb product. The support provides comfortable support to my legs and alleviates the pain that I start feeling after a couple of hours of paddling. Since I have been using it, I have been able to paddle longer and in much greater comfort than I could before. My wife, who had been complaining of lower back and leg pain, used it for the first time last night. After we came off of the water, she said that it was the first pain-free paddle that she had had in a long time. We haven't bothered to install the velcro attachments, but the support is easy to position when loose.

Noticeably more comfortable than minicell kneeling pads, but 6"x6.5" is too small unless you will be putting your knees in precisely the same spot every time and not moving them at all. In addition, the "non-skid" backing doesn't keep the pads in place when you aren't kneeling on them, so you would need to glue the pads into the boat. The product has excellent potential, but needs to be changed a bit to be genuinely useful.

I spend most of my time in a canoe, and switched to a Mildwater early last summer because it looked like it would be relatively cool in the summer because of the mesh back, and because the vest felt like it would be comfortable for canoe paddling. The Mildwater fit well, was noticeably cooler than my previous PFDs, and worked very well for both canoe and kayak paddling.

Superb design that does an excellent job of balancing solid tracking, good initial stability, good maneuverability, and excellent secondary stability. It handles wind, waves, and chop more easily than the vast majority of the other boats I have paddled. Although not as fast as a Wenonah Advantage or Voyager, it accelerates quickly, is easy to hold at cruising speed, and is fast enough to satisfy the vast majority of paddlers. The gunwale width and overall width are narrow enough that the boat is very comfortable to paddle. If I could only have one solo canoe, the Magic would be one of my top choices.